Most of you are probably familiar with, I’m positive a well-studied and explained, phenomenon of the time going faster as you get older. I wasn’t curious enough to look for those explanations so at some point I came up with the one that seemed logical and left it at that.
In our earlier years time is very discrete and structured: we always know which grade we are in, what semester (or quarter as it was in the country where I went to school) it is and when we’ll have the next break. Our years are distinctive in terms of classes, class-mates and teachers. And each year constitutes a significant part of our self-aware life.
As we get older, finish our education and start working full-time, our lives become more unified, “continuous” and provide much less range poles for memory to measure against. Also a year becomes smaller and smaller relative to life lived. Small kids might improve that situation for their parents for a while but it’s still not the same and it goes away as they grow up.
I didn’t know that at the time, but starting my blog a year ago served as an antidote to that acceleration tendency (probably just a temporary one but still). My life became much more structured. I’m constantly aware of not only a month (“Is it time for a monthly stats post?”) but also dates and days of the week (“I haven’t posted since the last Tuesday” or “I’m reading a six-days-old post – Is it still Ok to comment?”).
This first year was veeery looong and really good for me. I published many more posts than I planned I would. I found many more blogo-friends than I hoped I would. And I discovered many more great perfumes than I thought I would.
I’m thankful to all my friends, supporters and enablers influencers.
Suzanne, lyu, Vanessa, Michael, Ines, Victoria, Ari, Diana, Joanne, Tara, Olga, Elisa, Thomas, Lavanya, Carol, Laurie, Meg, Krista, Asali and Christos – thank you. For reading, commenting, writing inspiring reviews and sharing perfumes. I appreciate every token of your support and value your friendship.
And now a special spotlight on my perfume godmothers:
Natalie of Another Perfume Blog: as far as I know she was the first one to report on upcoming Chanel No 19 Poudre release. She kept publishing updates and impressions the topic and it resulted in My First Unsniffed Purchase. (UPD: APB is closed now)
Dee of beauty on the outside: after I won a drawing for a decant of Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess perfume on her blog, I liked it so much that I bought the last bottle at the store and then brought it with me on the trip to Hawaii – how often do you haul a FB to a vacation? (if you haven’t seen it yet, take a look at the Bronze Goddess’ picture from that trip, I think she looked great).
Birgit of Olfactoria’s Travels: she described Annick Goutal Ambre Fetiche in such a way that I just had to try it! (well, Birgit does it a lot). I got a sample (thanks to Carrie), tried it and fell in love. So now finally I have a colored Annick Goutal’s bottle in my collection.
Tarleisio of The Alembicated Genie: her beautiful writing resulted in not one but two new bottles in my collection: Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan and DSH Vert pour Madame. If you haven’t read The Incomparable Khadine and Vertesimilituda yet I dare you to do so and see if you can resist the urge to try these perfumes if you haven’t tried them yet or re-try if you have.
Mals86 of The Muse in Wooden Shoes: here I told the story about my bottle of Puredistance Antonia and what role Mals played in it.
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What else did this year of blogging give me? A complete realization of how great the climate where I live is.
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Images: my own
Undina's Looking Glass 
A very Happy Birthday, quite an achievement! (I like your Perfume Godmothers by the way).
Here’s to another successfull year.
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Thank you, Lila and welcome to my blog.
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Happy blog birthday! :)
Now that you mentioned it, I have in my mind at all times the idea when I published my last post and usually that I should post another one soon (I’m working on not forcing myself into doing things when the mood isn’t right). :)
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Thank you, Ines!
I wouldn’t be able to force a post even if I wanted to: a story just wouldn’t tell itself. But I do some advanced planning not to disappear for too long: not as much for readers (there are more than enough reading materials out there) but mostly for myself – so that I do not get used to not doing it.
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Happy Anniversary! What a lovely way to mark it. It’s great to see the bottles your perfume godmothers have led you to. They will be so pleased! Thanks for my mention too :)
I totally agree with your “continuous” time theory regarding the speeding up of time as we get older. I’ve been working for the same charity for 16 years and it hardly seems like any time at all.
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Tara, thank you. I have a feeling my collection is going to have more godparents in future: there are very talented people in our quarters of the Perfumeland and I’m very impressionable ;)
Stability contributes a lot to making time pass faster. But I shouldn’t complain probably since I prefer stability.
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A very happy blog-o-versary, here a toast (in coffee, I’m at work after all;-)) to many more years and travels through the lookingglass. Now I shall look even more forward to trying Antonia :-)
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Thank you, Asali. I’ll take a toast with any liquid when it comes with such nice wishes.
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Happpy Blog-o-versary, Undina! Following your blog over the past year has been like watching a flower bloom: with each new post, I feel like I’m seeing another petal unfold. And getting to know you through our email conversations has been a delight and a privilege.
Your blogging godmother Birgit got me hooked on Ambre Fetiche, too, though I have yet to purchase a FB. And you, my dear, totally hooked me on Heure Exquise, for which I’m truly grateful!
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Suzanne, thank you for your kind – as always – words. I’m really happy today: I got from this year of blogging exactly what I wished for – new friends who share my hobby, my passion. And I’m sure that we all will keep … inspiring each other. And there will be some bottles with our names on them in each other’s cabinets.
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Congratulations on you blog anniversary!
It is great that you found a way to slow down time! ;)
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First that should be YOUR blog anniversary, sorry!
And second: I wanted to add a thank you for all your beautiful posts, some of which have really resonated with me.
Here’s to many more years of well-written articles and lovely statistics! xoxo
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Thank you, dear Birgit. You are my inspiration and I really admire your blog and how you organized your time (can’t imagine doing what you do with two kids!).
BTW, I didn’t find Ambre Fetiche in the list of your reviews for Annick Goutal brand.
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It is there! The third post coming up when you click on Annick Goutal in categories. I almost thought you had found a labelling mistake, of which there are undoubtedly many, but not in this case. ;)
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That was how I did find it. But I was referring to your Perfume Reviews page: I looked there first and AF isn’t one of AG’s perfumes. If you just stopped updating that page, disregard my comment :)
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Ah, that was an oversight, thanks for pointing it out. I do update that page of course, about once a week, but AF fell through the grid somehow. (So you caught me out AGAIN! Grrrr….) ;)
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Happy Anniversary Undina!! I’m attempting to slow down time myself, but it’s not working out very well.
So glad you’re here!
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Thank you, C.! I’m glad you are here :)
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Hi Undina!
Happy first anniversary – what a fun picture of the bottles “enabled” through your perfume godmothers. I am happy to have discovered your blog last year and glad that you are the time keeper – and stats keeper – of Perfume Land. And your observation is spot on about blogging schedules making one more aware of the passage of time. I just wish I could stop that other time-related blogging spin off, namely my tendency to live in four time zones in one day, as it isn’t doing me any good! : – )
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Vanessa, thank you – for everything, not only this response. I’m glad there are other people who find my stats rather fascinating than weird.
As to the living all-around-the-world time-wise – you do need to make an effort! First – say No to Twitter after a certain point in time at night: it’s much easier to leave a comment or a letter to be finished the next day than to leave a “live” interraction.
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That is so true – “leaving a ‘live’ interaction” is exactly the problem, because the darn thing never stops! LIke one of those sushi belts.
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Undina, I am so happy and proud of you on your very first blog anniversary. Thank you for all of the wonderful and beautifully written stories you have shared with us this year. I am truly amazed at your eloquence in a language that was not your first. You are one of my favorite perfume bloggers, and it’s not just for your adorable cat :)
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Thank you, Ari.
I know that cat’s pictures significantly improve almost any post, so I’m in a negotiation with Rusty now to secure some future photo sessions (he’s laying on his back on my laps and clearly says: “pat me now, we’ll talk later”).
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Congrats!!! *happy dances* Many more fragrant years to you, Undina!
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Thannk you, Jen.
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So happy for you!! I hope it’s been a year of delight for you – enjoyable labor, at least.
Eat cake. Smell a lot of stuff. Enjoy the anniversary… and then write some more, please!
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Mals, thank you! It was a good year. And I am enjoying this celebration: it’s so nice to see everybody here.
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Happy, happy, happy anniversary Undina! I can’t believe that it’s already been a year, but then again, I feel like you’ve been blogging forever… Time is twisty, isn’t itz.
I love your puzzlement at whether it’s okay to comment on a six-day-old post. I am frequently guilty of doing just that! But, from my perspective, I’m just glad when people are reading something, even if it’s days, weeks, or months after the original posting day.
I remember those beautiful pictures of Bronze Goddess in Hawaii– she did look stunning! It’s such a lovely fragrance— I was wearing it earlier this week and marveling once again how something so well done, so beautiful, was bought full price for only $55. Goodness, I love Estee Lauder!
Cheers to you Undina, and to another year at Looking Glass!
xxoooxxxoo
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Dee, I can’t believe it myself that it was just a year – as I said, it was a long year (but a great one). And thank you or your wishes.
I think that I owe a partial “Thank you” for Ambre Fetiche: if it weren’t for your insistance Birgit might have never re-visited that perfume.
Since my blog read, mostly, friends I wouldn’t mind picking up a year-old conversation, so for me comments are great whenever they come. But I noticed that some people (just a few) answer comments in the latest thread but ignore them in older posts. I do not need a reply but I’m not sure if an author even saw my comment.
I’m very curious to try this year’s BG flancker…
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Happy blogoversary!!! I always enjoy reading your posts even though I dont always comment. And yes, you are very lucky to live in California ;)
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Thank you, Sigrun!
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Congratulations on your first year. Although I rarely (never?) comment I read all your posts and remember being astonished when you revealed English was not your first language. I have been charmed by your travel posts and was very moved when I first read your story of how you came to win that bottle of Puredistance Antonia. Your year-end graph with the bottle images was great too.
I’m not surprised you have connected so well with that great group of “influencers”.
Keep up the excellent work (and pictures of Rusty too).
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Thank you, Lindaloo, I’m touched. Please stop by from time to time – even if just to say “Hi”.
P.S. More pictures of Rusty are coming soon.
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Undina, thanks for an honorable mention! I do love commenting on your blog. In fact, I cannot resist commenting, because you weave together the perfume and life, this is the way I like it most. I know that many people believe in perfume as an art form of its own. I do agree, but for me perfume in and of itself is less interesting than the crossroads of perfume and music, perfume and literature, and most importantly, perfume and life.
Here’s to another year! I am still at a rainy college town, at work, but I am toasting you with green tea.
As a matter of fact, I don’t think I ever told you that — but I did become a member at the Golden Moon Tea. I haven’t bought anything for myself yet, but I have purchsed a sampler for my SIL who is a big time tea drinker.
Click glasses! Happy Blogoversary! За Вас!
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Thank you, O.!
Perfume is a form of art and a science. And there are many talented people who write about it as such. And I enjoy reading them. But it’s not me. My perfumes are parts of my life – small or big, proven by time or immediate. So all I can do is to write about those perfumed moments. And I’m glad those stories find their readers.
You reminded me: I planned to do several more tea posts. I’ll do it this year :)
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And I am sitting back in the chair and reading your stories of perfumed reflections of life. Love the Scheherazade reference, BTW.
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Thank you for reading. I was glad when it all came together. You know, how it feels when all pieces fall in place, right?
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Happy blogoversary! I’m so glad I found your blog this year, and am so happy and honored to be included in your enablers. :) < Big smile! I have to ask, too: is this photo and background from a blog birthday or a "real" birthday?
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Natalie, you’re my the most loyal supporter through this year and I’m very greatful to you for that. Thank you.
Pictures are from a real birthday (friends’ dauchter’s) but I took them and then remembered I had those somewhere (not the easiest task with more than 10 years worth picture archives ;) ).
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It’s my pleasure, and of course I hope/think you know I can say the same to you (except the one full year part). So thank you too!
It’s a gorgeous colorful picture! the perfect cheerful photo for an anniversary.
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In my family, people celebrate anniversaries by calling up the person in question and singing them the “Fred Flintstone Anniversary Song”:
Except our version goes on for ten minutes. I’m singing it to you now! (As long as the neighbors don’t call the police…) :D
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Meg, I can’t express properly how much joy this small clip brought me! Thank you! :) (And happy birthday – once again)
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A happy first birthday to your blog and many more!
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Thank you, Elisa.
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